In 2005, Batman Begins pioneered the now ubiquitous gritty reboot (in film – it was being done in comic books more than a decade prior) and reintroduced a generation to Gotham’s mythic hero in a way that was more realistic than ever before. Then in 2008, the ludicrously popular follow-up The Dark Knight permanently changed our perceptions of what comic book adaptations could be; it was heady, mature, cerebral, and morally complex. It also featured Heath Ledger in a career-defining role that defied expectations. His Joker was initially supposed to carry over into the third part of the trilogy. READ FULL REVIEW